BRIDGTONIAN SUMMER 2014
Chairman’s Comments
I have just put the telephone down after an uplifting conversation with an old
Bridgtown friend who has not been in contact for over 50 years. Derek
Ralphs, now 83 years old and residing in Barlaston (North Staffordshire),
was a prominent personality at my school, at my youth club and, of course,
wherever attractive young ladies congregated! He is now suffering from
Alzheimer’s and other age-related problems, but fortunately he has a thriving
and successful family around him. Like all of our members, his recollections
of “the old days” play an increasing role in his “memory bank”. He has
asked that he continue to receive any “Bridgtown literature” and to continue
to be informed of our activities.
My thirty minutes or so spent on the phone with Derek has reinvigorated my
dedication to ensure that our Society remains ongoing. At this time we have
substantial problems relating to premises as well as equally-concerning
illness to key team members. So it is that, from time to time, we have to
negotiate substantial hurdles, just as we did at our meeting at Bridgtown
School on Wednesday 21st May. But the results justified all our efforts. Pat
Corfield, a Bridgtown boy of course, produced a splendid performance to an
audience of over sixty members. All of our Summertime talks, which are all
evening events, are to be held at the school. In the late Autumn when we
return to morning meetings we shall revert to meeting at Bethel Church. We
are very grateful to the school and the church for being so accommodating in
meeting our needs in this way.
At the time of writing I am looking forward to our Arts and Crafts Exhibition
at Bethel Church on Saturday 24th May and to the concert that Bridgtown
Concert Band are putting on for us at Bridgtown Social Club on Monday 16 th
June.
See you soon!
Tony Pearson
These words were written on 23rd May 2014
3
The following report has been supplied. It is about a concert involving
Bridgtown Boys’ School Choir. Unfortunately the year is not clear from the
report itself but can you name it? My guess is that it was in 1942 but do you
know better? Ed.
A CELEBRITY CONCERT
On Thursday 23rd April a choir from our school, conducted by Mr Haydn Boot,
had the honour of singing with those two famous artistes, Margaret Eaves and
Henry Cummings.
We ourselves opened with “The Music Makers” and then other items were
given by the more famous soprano and baritone.
One remark by Margaret Eaves caused some merriment for she advised
Desmond Owen, who was holding her music, to put some sawdust in his shoes.
Those who know Desmond can appreciate the joke.
The item the audience received best was the “Fishermen of England” sung by
Henry Cummings and accompanied by our choir.
Altogether it was a very enjoyable evening and added another leaf to the laurels
which the choir has earned during the past summer.
N.Jones, J.Simpson.
EATING IN THE UK IN THE FIFTIES

Brown bread was something only poor people ate.

Oil was for lubricating your bike not for cooking, fat was for
cooking.

Bread and jam was a treat.

The tea cosy was the forerunner of all the energy saving devices that
we hear so much about today.
APOLOGY
I would like to apologise to all members of Bridgtown & District
History Society for the very late appearance of this Summer
Edition of The Bridgtonian.
I started to prepare the magazine in early June for publication.
Unfortunately events in my own life meant that all my time was
taken up by other matters. I am now in a position to resume my
normal routine. I am truly sorry for the major delays for which I
take full responsibility. I hope you enjoy the magazine now it is
finally with you. Please also be assured that there will still be an
Autumn Edition and a Winter edition to come before the end of
2014.
The Editor
Our Meetings
Please note that from November 2014 all our monthly meetings will take place
on Wednesday mornings and will be at Bethel Church. These arrangements
will continue right through until April 2015.
We would like to place on record our thanks to Bridgtown Primary School for
allowing us to use their premises over the past few months. Especial thanks
should be recorded to the school caretaker, Mr Brian Chambers, who has been
especially helpful to us.
Irene Sambrook is one of our members who now lives in Stone. She has
provided us with an account of her father’s life, written by himself. Irene is the
daughter of Olive Harris (nee Smallman). The Smallman family kept the Fish &
Chip shop in New Street years ago. Irene’s Dad didn’t come from this area
originally but his story is well worth reading as it is a poignant reminder of
times gone by. Eventually Irene grew up in Wedges Mills.
Here is Part Three of this fascinating article:
The Story of William Harris
In his own words.
By the year 1936 progress had taken place and road transport had expanded
dramatically, with lorries even being fitted with diesel engines. I was given a
job in the garage and one of my tasks was to warm up the engines with a blow
lamp, so that they would start first thing in the morning. Also, when the lorries
came back in, I would place them in the yard in the right order for when they
had to go out again. In addition I served petrol from the pumps on the forecourt
to passing trade. By the way, these pumps were hand operated and, at that time,
petrol was ten pence a gallon. My wages were eight shillings a week.
Our family then moved to take up residence in Great Wyrley. The house had a
bathroom with an indoor toilet. It was like moving into a new world because
we had never experienced that pleasure before! I found another job in
Birmingham but had to cycle the sixteen miles in each direction daily. This was
because either the bus or the train fare was over a shilling a day and my wage,
for five and a half days, was only twelve shillings. That was in 1938. I was
employed as an apprentice in the tool room of H. C. Webb, who manufactured
lawnmowers.
However, the war was imminent and the company started producing armaments,
bullets and shells, etc. I then began to operate a lathe, turning release gear for
parachute harnesses. Then , in 1940, the bombing started and I would spend
days on end in Birmingham without being able to get home. After the normal
shift ended we had to take turns fire-watching on the roof of the factory and, as
I was also a certified first-aider, I would do ambulance duties
I saw many sickening sights during the next few years. I went into one house in
Aston after a landmine raid and saw that all the carpets and bedclothes had been
sucked up the chimney and were found in the next street while the whole family
lay dead on their beds without a mark on them. That was the sort of thing that
blast could do.
Whenever I was on fire-watch on the roof of the factory during an afternoon
there always seemed to be a raid. My mates and I knew it was inevitable. On
one afternoon, without any air-raid warning, a lone German plane got through
and banked in over Webb’s roof. His wing tip almost touched my head and I
could see the pilot clearly in his black leather helmet. He was grinning as he
started to strafe the GEC factory just opposite. The workers were running to the
air-raid shelters and he just mowed them down!
Our factory was later hit by a bomb and we salvaged what machinery we could
and rebuilt it in order to carry on with the war-effort, but later it was destroyed
and workers were sent to other factories. I was sent to work in a tile works near
my home in Cannock but shells and guns were being made there now. Later I
was conscripted into the RAF and did my training at Cheddington, the place
where the Great Train Robbery was later to take place.
I will conclude by going back to 1939 when I first met my wife Olive. I can
vividly remember the first time I saw her. She was getting off a bus near her
home and I thought that she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I knew
at that moment that I wanted to marry her. We were married on 31 st March
1941and produced a family of three daughters Janet, Irene and Jayne, the most
wonderful daughters a man could wish for.
That concludes the story of William Harris, as written by himself. Many thanks
to Irene Sambrook for letting us share in his memories.
Editor
“Aynuk says his missus has spent the last twenty years changing his habits and
is now complaining that he’s not the man she married!”
Our chairman recently celebrated a very special birthday. He was presented
with a special cake to mark the occasion during one of our regular team
meetings:
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All will be well for this year’s Remembrance Parade as the flagpole has been
suitably altered as our picture shows.
HISTORY SOCIETY NEWS
Plans are well underway for this year’s Annual Event on Sunday 19th October
at Bridgtown Social Club. Yet again there will be many new photographs to see
of times gone by, but perhaps the best thing about the day is the opportunity to
meet up again with old friends, neighbours, school friends and work colleagues
in a relaxed social atmosphere. We hope you will join us again for a good day.
This year’s new book will be launched on that day. The book is about
Bridgtown’s older brother, Churchbridge! This book has been written by our
Churchbridge expert, John Devey, who will be on hand to provide you with an
autographed copy for your bookshelf.
The society is grateful to its president Fred Pritchard in offering us the use of
his office in Virage Tower in order to carry out research activities and to store
society records.
We still need to pursue our interests in other property if we are to leave a real
legacy for future generations of Bridgtonians. It will still be necessary for us to
raise a lot more money through new activities and events. We need the support
of members in order to achieve our aims. Equally if anyone has a good idea for
fund-raising please share it with us.
World War 1 memorabilia is needed for a display we are planning to mount at
some relevant point in time. Please search your homes to see if you have
anything that you can lend to us commemorate the Great War.
We still have lots of copies of Bygone Bridgtown and Bridgtown Born &
Bred and Bridgtown and Beyond for sale. Every time we sell one of these
books it is another £5.00 towards our fund raising. Do you know somebody
who would like copies of any of them?
It is intended that the society will produce a proper history book detailing the
growth and development of Bridgtown. This is a long-term project that will
take some time to complete but we believe that such a book needs writing and
the planning of this official record has now begun.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
It is good that our society is now consulted by Cannock Council on future
developments in the Bridgtown area. At our team meeting in July we were
delighted to welcome Angela Groves from the Planning Department to discuss
relevant issues.
Listed below are some of the main issues discussed and the council’s comments
on them as of this time:
Planning update July 2014

North Street Conservation Area – Appraisal and Management Plan adopted
and documents being updated to be distributed later in year. Idea is to set out
a framework for conserving special historic interest and appearance of North
Street for considering planning applications etc. Trying to encourage owners
to be aware of local interest when they carry out alterations. Plastic windows
still an issue, planning permission required for alterations to appearance of
commercial buildings (though window changes permitted for houses) so
encourage repair of old windows and where replacement necessary to use
compatible design and materials to keep up standards. Have just written to all
shops and flats in Conservation Area to remind them of these restrictions.

Edgemead site (former Cornelius Whitehouse toolworks) – housing scheme
still under discussion, trying to make sure historic importance is taken into
account including a survey of the toolworks before demolition and a display of
historic information on the developed site to enhance community awareness.

Forthcoming Local List – later in the year publicity expected to take place
inviting nominations from the public of buildings and features of local historic
and architectural interest. Intended to recognise buildings, objects, sites and
features valued for their contribution to the local scene. The List would be
used when assessing planning applications to ensure their interest is not
overlooked.
In June an excellent concert was provided by Bridgtown Concert Show Band for
society funds. The evening was a big success and thoroughly enjoyed by all
who were present.
How Our Society Started
Here we continue the article written a number of years ago by our chairman
Tony Pearson. It is the tale of a boy growing up in Bridgtown. It was sent to
Professor Carl Chinn and part of it was published in the Express & Star in
September 2007. Its publication was a major factor in the formation of our
society. We are now reading the parts of Tony’s article that have never before
been published. This episode is the last but one of our series.
“The Hole in the Hedge” by Tony Pearson
Memories and Reflections of a Bridgtown Boy
The Youth Club organisation throughout the area was led by a dynamic man,
George Fitch, who operated from his Rugeley base. Most Youth Clubs were
associated with local churches be they Anglican, Methodist or Catholic. George
Fitch’s area covered Essington, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Bridgtown,
Cannock, Chadsmoor, Hednesford, Heath Hayes, Rawnsley and Rugeley. At
each youth club management and control was voluntary. I recall many names
of dedicated people who proved inspirational to us at such an influential time in
our young lives. Some of these people were Eric and Marjorie Horrill at St.
Luke’s in Cannock, Ernie Carter at St. Mark’s in Great Wyrley, Norman and Ida
Gellion at St. John’s in Hednesford (now Trinity), and of course Peggy
Greenway and Laurie Bradley at our own Park Street Methodist Church in
Bridgtown.
My own growing involvement enabled me to participate in a widening variety
of sports, music and drama. It gave me a positive sprinkling of confidence that
had previously been in doubt. Even more importantly, it channelled me into a
path that would shape my future character and ambitions. I was given the
opportunity to join the Drama Group and soon realised that, although much fun
was enjoyed in the process, the objective was to be serious and produce
performances that local people would pay to watch.
One Drama Competition was particularly intense and culminated in a Challenge
Show at what was then called The New Hall in Cannock, which was not
surprisingly at the top of Newhall Street and adjacent to the then Post Office
and the Danilo Cinema. I believe that our group came second but in reality I
had won “hands down” that night. Among the contesting youth clubs was the
one from St. John’s in Hednesford and within their group was the girl that I
would marry some five years later. Somehow the competitive element just
melted away. I was far too shy to make contact but the seed was well and truly
sown. I was determined to try to find a way to meet this girl. I know I only saw
her for a few minutes but that was enough to “light the fire”.
In the ensuing weeks I made determined and what I believed to be bold moves
to discover more about this mysterious girl. She lived in Hednesford. Her Dad
was a butcher and she went to school at The Friary in Lichfield. Her name was
Ann West and “Eureka!”, on most Saturday nights she went to the dance at the
Co-op Hall in Cannock.
Tony’s article is not only a wonderful personal record of his early life but is a
compelling Social History account. We look forward to reading the final part
of his story in our next edition. Ed.
 Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting
someone you know INCREASES dramatically when you are with someone you
don't want to be seen with.
 Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a
machine won't work, IT WILL!!!
Subject: A POEM WE OLDIES CAN RELATE TO !!!
I remember the cheese of my childhood,
And the bread that we cut with a knife,
When the children helped with the housework,
And the men went to work not the wife.
The cheese never needed a fridge,
And the bread was so crusty and hot,
The children were seldom unhappy
And the wife was content with her lot.
I remember the milk from the bottle,
With the yummy cream on the top,
Our dinner came hot from the oven,
And not from the fridge; in the shop.
The kids were a lot more contented,
They didn't need money for kicks,
Just a game with their mates in the road,
And sometimes the Saturday flicks.
I remember the shop on the corner,
Where a pen'orth of sweets was sold
Do you think I'm a bit too nostalgic?
Or is it....I'm just getting old?
I remember the 'loo' was the lav,
And the bogey man came in the night,
It wasn't the least bit funny
Going "out there" with no light.
The interesting items we perused,
From the newspapers cut into squares,
And hung on a peg in the loo,
It took little to keep us amused.
The clothes were boiled in the wash house,
With plenty of rich foamy suds
But the ironing seemed never ending
As Mum pressed everyone's 'duds'.
I remember the slap on my backside,
And the taste of soap if I swore.
Anorexia and diets weren’t heard of
And we hadn’t much choice what we wore.
Do you think that bruised our ego?
Or our initiative was destroyed?
We ate what was put on the table
And I think life was better enjoyed.
Anon.
NICKNAME ALLEY
Tony Pearson was recalling all the nicknames of the boys he knew around
Bridgtown. Here are some of them:
Gritter Taylor
Cocky Thomas
Slammer Simpson
Nutty Pearson
Brinner Thomas
Titch Archer
Saka Saxon
Bogsey Benton
Jacko Jackson
Graham
Michael
John
John or Tony
Bryan
Rex
Derek
Maurice
Horace
Can you remember any different ones?
Was it only the boys who had nicknames? What about the girls?
“The Bridgtonian”
Our magazine is called “The Bridgtonian” after the school magazine for
Bridgtown Boys’ School in the 1930s and 1940s. In previous editions we have
reproduced a wide variety of articles from those magazines. This time we look
back at the edition written in Summer Term 1936. It would appear that this
article was either written by a Norwegian visitor or by one of the pupils with a
Norwegian background. Does anybody know which it was?
SOME IMPRESSIONS FROM NORWAY
BY ROALD CAPPELEN SMITH
Norway, with its big mountains, noisy waterfalls and blue fjords is not so far
away from England as you may imagine. In fact, from Newcastle it takes you
only twenty one hours to Bergen. Many Englishmen seem to like to spend their
holidays in Norway, and we are always very glad to receive them as our guests.
They don’t seem like foreigners to us, and you will be surprised to find
everywhere people speaking English. I don’t mean to say that we all speak
English well – far from it – but we can, with our school English at any rate,
answer fairly well your questions and give you some help if you happen to need
it.
At school, you see, we start learning English at the age of 12, and we find it in
the beginning very difficult indeed to put the tongue between the teeth to
produce the “th” sound. But after some time, you may hear the whole class
repeating small sentences like: “Fred, where are you?”, “I don’t like peasoup.”, “The apple is worm-eaten.” and so on. (I don’t see the reason why the
Education Committee has chosen these sentences for our first book. Till now I
never have had pea-soup in England, and always I have got very nice apples –
especially in Cannock!)
We haven’t the same school hours as you. We start in the morning at 8.30 and
go on till 2 o’ clock with a break of fifteen minutes in the middle to eat our
sandwiches and drink our milk. We also have to learn the German language
which is generally considered to be much more difficult than the English, and
the German grammar gives us much trouble.
We cannot, as you can, expect other people to speak our language, so there are
some disadvantages in belonging to a small nation of two and a half million
people.
Physical exercises are the most popular of our school activities. We have nice
gymnastic halls, and the lesson finished, tepid showers are a matter of course.
In the summer we often use this lesson for playing football – the most popular
summer game – or for swimming, and in the winter we play ice hockey. The
girls generally have their exercise hour indoors, swinging their arms, bending
their knees or step-dancing – all to music. It keeps them very fit, and you would
certainly like our fair-headed girls. We do. We get on very well together in our
mixed classes and on Saturday evenings we have small dancing parties at home
or at school – the gymnastic hall then being decorated with many-coloured
ribbons and flags.
During the long vacation from the end of June till the middle of August we
leave the town for the seaside or the mountains. Those who can afford it spend
the month of July at the seaside or the first weeks of August in the mountains,
either fishing or hiking. It is a very agreeable and lazy sort of life at the seaside,
diving and swimming. While we are sunbathing a gramophone entertains us;
we always prefer the latest English hits and do our best to catch and appreciate
the words. The talkie films come very quickly to Norway, and this year the
favourite film tunes in Norway quite certainly are the same as here – “Alone”
and “I’m putting all my eggs in one basket”, or whatever they may be.
Our national sport is skiing. We always hope to get snow for our Christmas
holidays but often are very disappointed. The real Norwegian winter with
plenty of snow and skiing facilities does not begin as a rule until January, and
then lasts till the end of April. It is nice gliding at full speed down the snowy
mountains or walking for miles through the big forests. Every Sunday morning
old and young go out skiing. The girls wear knickers and sweaters, and you
often wonder if it is a boy or a girl who is gliding before you. The girls are as
clever as the boys, you see. Nearly every Sunday there is a jumping
competition between the different clubs. Kongsberg Ski-club is the best known,
and you might perhaps have heard of the Ruud family – and every winter many
tourists come to Norway for skiing. Finse, not far from Bergen, is the favourite
place for the Cambridge undergraduates who spend their Easter holidays there.
I hope you haven’t had too bad an impression of Norway from these few
suggestions, and I hope that sometime you will get the opportunity of coming to
pay us a visit.